Simple tumor profile chart based on cell kinetic parameters and histologic grade is useful for estimating the natural growth rate of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Thirty-four untreated hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) with known growth rates were classified into 5 groups on a tumor profile chart based on their doubling time (DT), Ki-67-positive index (Ki-67-PI), apoptotic index (Apo-I), and histologic grade. The slow-growing HCCs (DT > 100 days) consisted of well-differentiated tumors with slight cell kinetic imbalance and were divided into groups A and B. Group A had Apo-I values <3%, and most tumors had Ki-67-PI values <10%, whereas group B had Apo-I values of 3 per thousand to 10 per thousand and Ki-67-PI values of 10% to 20%. The HCCs with intermediate growth rates, which had Ki-67-PI values similar to those of the tumors in group B, were divided into groups C and D based on differences in cell kinetics: group C consisted of well-differentiated tumors, most of which had Apo-I values <3 per thousand, and group D consisted of moderately or poorly differentiated tumors with Apo-I values between 10 per thousand and 20 per thousand. The rapidly growing tumors (DT < 50 days, group E) had higher Ki-67-PI values than other groups and a wide range of Apo-I values. Rapidly growing tumors were mostly moderately or poorly differentiated, with a large cell kinetic imbalance in favor of cell production. This grouping system is useful for approximating the growth rate of HCCs in a clinical setting, even when only histologic parameters are available. Copyright 2002 by W.B. Saunders Company